Final-day battle for Euro spot

The pursuit of the final Europa League place will go to the final day after rivals Torino and Parma drew 1-1.

Last Updated: 11/05/14 5:34pm

The pursuit of the final Europa League place will go to the final day of the Serie A season after rivals Torino and Parma cancelled each other out to draw 1-1 in Turin.

It was a straight shoot-out for sixth place and an overdue return to continental competition for both clubs on Sunday afternoon, and Italy's leading goalscorer Ciro Immobile drew first blood for the hosts just before half-time.

But Parma recovered to level through Jonathan Biabiany after Antonio Cassano's penalty was saved, and Torino's main threat was removed from the equation for the final phases after Immobile saw red for diving.

Defender Alessandro Lucarelli had already been dismissed for Parma but the visitors managed to hold on.

One point separates sixth-placed Torino and Parma ahead of their respective games against Fiorentina and Livorno on May 18, and a superior result for the Gialloblu will see them snatch the final European berth.

Parma - UEFA Cup winners in 1999 - could not afford to lose at the Stadio Olimpico if they wanted to keep dreaming of a return to Europe while Torino knew victory at home would see them through.

The Granata just edged a cagey first half, with Alessio Cerci regularly combining well with Immobile to frighten the Parma defence.

The in-form Italy striker made a beeline towards goal just before the half-hour mark but, before he could unleash a right-footed drive on the turn, Mattia Cassani got across the box to cover.

A swift counter-attack down the right saw Cerci pick out Immobile and the young forward tried another acrobatic finish before the ball clattered out of play for a corner.

Parma came close to snatching the opener against the run of play when Marco Parolo unleashed a powerful drive from the edge of the box, but it would be Torino who broke the deadlock through the likely candidate.

Three minutes before the break, Immobile brought up his 22nd goal of the season when racing onto Gabriel Paletta's weak backpass to tap the ball home.

Parma looked more determined when play resumed, with both Marco Marchionni and Afriyie Acquah squeezing into promising shooting positions, but Lucarelli put his team at a disadvantage when earning a red card in the 64th minute.

The defender had to walk for bringing Immobile down as the last man, and Cesare Bovo just missed hitting the target with the resulting free-kick.

Parma were handed a route back into the game when Kamil Glik felled Acquah in the box with 69 minutes played.